It Could Be Worse: Those Guys Still Play?

Hey Tigers fans. Guess what: this season is actually fun! There is nothing worse in sports than apathy. We hate it when we suspect teams of it and the watching experience becomes no fun when we’re inflicted with it. I mean look at the Pistons right now. Only the masochistic of us actually wants to sit and watch that team.

So yes, while the Tigers are giving us reasons to tear our hair out and get into Twitter wars with someone who isn’t quite sure he wants to be a parody account of a historic Tiger or not, at least they’re giving us SOMETHING. It’s why we’re sports fans to begin with. We live for the moments that make us feel physically ill.

Nothing is more depressing than watching a team only because you feel like you have to. We’ve done that enough as Tigers fans.

I’m not trying to tell you how to root for the Tigers. I just want you to know that it could be worse. So for the remainder of the season, I’m writing this feature to remind Tigers fans of that.

On this day in in 1995 the Tigers lost to the Orioles, 6-2

Games behind in the division: 23

Starting lineup:

1. Chad Curtis, CF
2. Bobby Higginson, RF
3. Travis Fryman, 3B
4. Cecil Fielder, DH
5. Lou Whitaker, 2B
6. Tony Clark, 1B
7. Alan Trammell, SS
8. Phil Nevin, LF
9. Ron Tingley, C

P    Felipe Lira

The first thought that came to mind was, “Holy crap, Fielder, Whitaker and Trammel were still on the team in 1995?” But clearly that didn’t help. There were worse teams in the 90s, but this team wasn’t that good.

The Tigers kept it close for most of the game, trailing 2-1 until the eighth when Baltimore dropped a four spot. Hitters 5-9 didn’t record a hit (sound familiar?) and that includes the Tigers’ two pinch hitters.

The Tigers’ two pinch hitters:

Derrick White: He pinch hit for Cecil Fielder. White hit a healthy .188 in 1995, his longest cup of coffee in the bigs (36 games). After 1995 he wouldn’t play again until 1998, where he played 40 games for the Blue Jays, Cubs and Rockies before his career ended. This guy pinch hit for Fielder.

Franklin Stubbs: He pinch hit for Tingley. Stubbs was actually a former World Series winner, playing first base for the Los Angeles Dodgers during their 1988 run. But 1995 was a long way from his prime.  Stubbs was in his final MLB season and it was the first time he played in the MLB since 1992.

This team in the 80s might have been pretty good. Not so much in 1995.

So, yeah. If you prefer watching the shadows of once great players toiling 23 games behind the division leader, then September 18, 1995 was your JAM. If not, then remember. Today could be worse.